Method and apparatus for depalletizing commodities

Abstract

Successive palletized stacks of blanks in a layer of such stacks on a penetrable support of cardboard or the like are lifted off the support by a substantially horizontal plate- or blade-like implement which is caused to penetrate between the upper side of the support and the underside of a selected stack prior to lifting of the selected stack off the support for transfer onto a conveyor or into a blank converting machine, such as a cigarette packing machine. An optical or other suitable monitoring unit has one or more sensors carried by the implement such that they share the movements of the implement to detect, and to effect the generation of defect signals in response to the detection of, improper operation of the apparatus, such as the penetration of the implement through and subsequent lifting of a portion of the support with a selected stack.

Description

The invention relates to improvements in methods of an in apparatus for temporarily storing commodities and for removing, when necessary, commodities from storage. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in methods of and in apparatus for removing (depalletizing) commodities from temporary storage facilities in the form of pallets. Typical examples of commodities which can be manipulated in accordance with the improved method and with or by the improved apparatus are stacks of superimposed articles, e.g., flat or substantially flat blanks of paper, cardboard, plastic material and / or metallic foil which are designed for conversion into containers or receptacles (such as packets) for arrays of plain or filter cigarettes or other articles or products of the tobacco processing industry. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in methods of and in apparatus for depalletizing commodities which are temporarily deposited on normally at least slightly ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of depalletizing stacks of superimposed blanks or other types of commodities in such a way that losses attributable to improper removal of a commodity are reduced to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method which can be practiced with apparatus constituting relatively minor but ingenious departures from conventional depalletizing apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method which, though especially suitable for the practice in connection with the manipulation of paper, cardboard or other blanks which are to be converted into packets or other types of receptacles or containers for smokers' products, can be resorted to with equal or similar advantage for the depalletizing of many other types of commodities which are to be manipulated in a highly predictable fashion and with a minimum of supervision by and / or assistance from attendants.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved depalletizing method which can be practiced by resorting to simple, compact and relatively inexpensive apparatus for predictable removal of commodities from available pallets and / or supports.

A further object of the invention is to provide the apparatus with novel and improved means for rapidly and reliably detecting irregularities in the depalletizing of stacks of blanks or other types of commodities.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which is constructed, assembled and adapted to be operated in such a way that the departures, if any, of its operation from an optimum mode of operation can be remedied or eliminated within shorter intervals of time than those of conventional apparatus, such as those disclosed in the above-enumerated European patents.

Problems solved by technology

Thus, even a relatively short interruption of the feed of blanks to such a machine can entail enormous losses in output.

Problems arise when the upper side of a support is not smooth or is not flat or is slotted or otherwise damaged (e.g., as a result of repeated use) so that the normally sharp or reasonably sharp leading edge of the implement penetrates into and thereupon lifts a portion of the support together with a selected stack above it.

This can result in undesirable shifting of one or more neighboring stacks on the partially lifted support and / or in at least some undesirable shifting (or complete collapse) of the stack overlying the implement.

This can entail huge losses in output, especially if the impaling and lifting of a portion of a support is detected with a certain delay.

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